Formulation Chemist
Personal Care, Cosmetics & Medical Aerosols
£35,000-£40,000 + Bonus + Relocation Support
Bishop Auckland, County Durham
Are you a hands-on Formulation Chemist who enjoys seeing your products go from concept to shelf at pace?
Do you want real ownership of projects, direct customer interaction, and exposure to high-volume manufacturing rather than working in a narrow lab-only role?
This is an opportunity to join an established and growing independent aerosol and pump dispenser manufacturer supplying personal care, cosmetic and medical device products across the UK, Ireland, Europe and North America.
The Opportunity
This is not a corporate R&D lab role.
You will be the central technical lead within a fast-moving, customer-driven product development environment, working across:
Shave gels and foams
Shower foams
Tanning mousses and skincare formats
SPF formulations
Medical sprays including adhesive removers, barrier sprays and wound care productsYou will manage multiple concurrent projects, working from brief through to scale-up and handover into production.
The business operates five filling lines and produces approximately 24 million aerosol units annually, with specialist expertise in bag-on-valve technology. This creates unique formulation and packaging interaction challenges that require strong technical judgement and practical problem-solving.
What You Will Be Doing
Developing and modifying formulations for personal care and cosmetic aerosol products
Managing end-to-end sample development in response to customer briefs
Leading in-house stability programmes (ambient, accelerated, freeze-thaw, UV exposure)
Conducting packaging interaction and compatibility studies
Setting and reviewing raw material and finished product specifications
Creating and maintaining Product Information Files (PIFs)
Coordinating outsourced CPSRs, microbiological testing and user trials
Supporting manufacturing with blend troubleshooting and recovery solutions
Liaising directly with customers to manage feedback, timelines and expectationsYou will not be working in isolation. You will collaborate daily with Quality, Production, Supply Chain and Commercial teams, operating in an agile SME environment where decisions are made quickly and ownership is valued.
The Technical Profile We Are Seeking
You must have:
A minimum of 2 years' formulation experience within personal care or cosmetics
Strong hands-on bench formulation capability
Experience in stability testing and preservative systems
Exposure to fragrance work and sensory assessment
An understanding of scale-up and manufacturing realitiesHighly desirable:
Aerosol formulation experience (including foam or gel formats)
Experience with bag-on-valve or pressurised systems
Exposure to medical device or regulated cosmetic environments
Experience preparing or coordinating PIF documentationYou should be confident managing multiple live projects and comfortable speaking directly with customers when required.
The Environment
This is a collaborative manufacturing business, not a siloed laboratory environment.
The successful candidate will:
Be highly organised and self-motivated
Thrive in a reactive, customer-led setting
Be comfortable balancing scientific integrity with commercial deadlines
Communicate effectively with both laboratory and production teams
Enjoy taking ownership and accountability
If you prefer narrow, single-project research roles with heavy supervision, this will not be the right environment.
If you enjoy autonomy, pace and impact, it will be.
Why Join?
Significant autonomy within a growing technical function
Broad exposure across personal care, cosmetics and medical devices
Direct involvement in premium and private label product launches
New laboratory investment and facility development
A supportive SME culture with cross-functional teamwork
Opportunity to influence and shape future technical growthPackage
£35,000-£40,000 (flexible for exceptional aerosol experience)
Discretionary annual bonus
25 days holiday plus bank holidays
Pension scheme
Death in service benefit
Relocation support available for the right candidate
If you are a practical, customer-focused Formulation Chemist who wants to play a central role in a specialist aerosol manufacturing business - and see your products reach major retail and international markets - we would be delighted to speak with you.
Apply now for a confidential discussion